Intro Log: Rock This City

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for January
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: January 10th-14th
Warnings: New folks, rockin' dudes made of rock, and collectible friends!

This time, it's different.

There's no cave, no stone walls looming up around you and overhead, no stifling air or artificial light- not that you'd appreciate it, seeing as to how you've probably never been here before. And still, when you land facefirst on the dirt ground of the colosseum, you may not quite appreciate all the improvements and steps we've had to take to get here- after all, you're still surrounded by strangers in a crumbling city on an alien planet in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, and you're being attacked by Earth Elementals. These creatures are tall, between seven to ten feet, and made of solid rock, capable of punching through all the squishy bits of you- and for whatever reason, they definitely want to start punching. They're incredibly strong and, seeing as to how they're enchanted alive and have no internal organs, they're very difficult to kill.

But don't let that scare you off. For all the collectors in you, you can also find a very special array of beanie babies all scattered at the ground at your feet. Do you know that some of these things will be worth a lot of money someday? Better find the rarest one and stockpile it while you can! You might run into the rainbow crab, the platypus, or the sought-after bald eagle, or many more! Be sure to never take the tag off and never ever let anyone play with them so they don't lose value.

Once you've got your kids' college fund squared away, it's time to start exploring! You can explore the rest of the city! Find a house, a new monster, a project to help with, or simply scavenge for supplies. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers January 10th-14th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► All characters arrive with phones that have network communication and the newbie guide installed.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

[barold]

[The singular pronoun doesn't go unnoticed. "Nothing I haven't seen before", huh? Barry frowns, almost cringing at the sound of it. She really has been alone for a long time. It's hard to undo a century's worth of memories and associations, and for Barry, Lucretia always was and will be that sweet young woman with immeasurable creative talents, so gentle and vulnerable and in need of protection. The sixty-fifth cycle had changed a lot of things, certainly, changed her, but Barry's protective instincts never quite gave way even as she proved herself both strong and capable for the three decades following. In some ways more than others, her age still showed. And yet, despite a century's worth of memories, he has to consolidate the girl he once knew with the woman sitting before him, looking older than he is, having seen and survived perils completely foreign to him all on her own.

The dozen years passed between them have changed them both almost beyond recognition. She is no longer the young, timid woman keeping to the background, content with telling the stories of other people. She is a leader now. A hero.

Some would say a traitor.

Barry would have said that, many years ago. But just as Lucretia has changed, so has he. He's older too, wiser, battle-worn, the marks of Faerûn's high roads and mountains and dense, treacherous forests evident in how the aging scientist carries himself. He doesn't move like the nervous, fumbling researcher anymore, having been as content as she'd been with keeping to the background. He's been forced to get strong, get tough, make concessions. Faerûn is an unforgiving land with no room for old grudges.]

Y-Yeah, I bet. I... [He hesitates, getting as close to his old friend as he dares. Though he wants to drop to his knees beside her and be close to her again, Barry remains standing, looking down at her.] I'm sorry I wasn't here t'help out. Sometimes these uh, these arena monsters get buck wild. You're right though, you've... you've seen worse.

[His gaze is drawn to the stuffed animal she's holding. An iridescent jellyfish. That's almost funny. A mean, awful joke. His voice wavers.]

Found yerself a li'l buddy there?

[slapsyouback]

Ah, right. I--

[She'd forgotten for a moment that she was still holding the stuffed toy. The way Barry looks at it, the way his voice sounds as he acknowledges it, makes her want to throw it away from her, or hide it behind her back. Makes her want to melt into the ground and disappear from this entire fucking plane of existence. Instead, she just brings the little Fisher in closer, hiding him against her chest and letting her eyes fall to the ground.

And in that moment, it dawns on her exactly how awful this actually is. The shock of seeing him gives way to a dread so intense she feels frozen, stuck there on the ground, clutching a toy so tight between her fingers she feels like she might rip it apart.

Why is he being so nice to her? Why is he speaking to her at all? He's standing here with his palms out apologizing to her? She's seen Taako, for god's sake, and what she did to him was--cruel, awful, a hundred shitty words she can't think of right now but what she did to Barry?

And he's not even standing here shouting at her, or firing off spells at her from a distance, which seems like a course of action she'd expect him to take. She made him her enemy, she kept him from everyone. She had reasons--she did, she did, she still has them, she was only ever doing what she thought was best but he never knew that, not really. She never got to tell him.]

I'm sorry, I just found this lying here and it seemed so much like, I um, I don't...Oh my god, Barry, I--

[She's up, on her feet, and she doesn't really remember making the decision to stand but she's there, taking a step back from him, and then another. This isn't how--this shouldn't be how this goes. She doesn't deserve whatever this is, and she can't think when he's just standing right there, looking normal--battle worn and more sure of himself-- but fine and safe and like maybe he's been happy here for a while before she turned up. Another person she could ruin this place for by coming here out of nowhere. She raises a hand to her mouth, and then up to her eyes, shielding herself from him--or maybe him from her--as she tries to get even one coherent thought out.]

Fuck. Barry. I am--god. I am so sorry. This isn't how I wanted to see you or anyone, this isn't how any of this was supposed to go, I can't--I don't know what to say.

[barold]

[Barry watches Lucretia scramble to her feet, the look on her face completely breaking his heart, his throat going tight as she rushes to speak, to apologize. For all that she did, for all the steps she took to keep him away from her, away from the base, away from his family, Lucretia still only did what she thought was right. She only wanted to help, to save a world they'd poisoned, a world he'd poisoned with his stupid plan. If only he'd listened, if only he'd been open to negotiate, she wouldn't have had to take the steps she did. They'd all backed her into a corner. And even though what she did made all seven of them suffer in a million different ways, her strength and sense of justice kept her working through even immeasurable pain just to set things right. That takes bravery. A kind of bravery Barry's never possessed.

But watching the woman he's considered family for decades longer than men have lived crumble like this, right in front of him, makes Barry want to be brave. He has a lot to say, of course. There's a lot he needs to talk about, a lot of things he needs to make sure Lucretia understands before either of them can start healing. But that can all come later. For now, he's going to be brave for once in his life, for both their sakes.]

Lucretia. Y'don't have t'say anything. Okay? Just-- Just listen to me.

[He approaches very slowly, his hands outstretched, palms facing her. Touching her probably wouldn't be the best idea right now, even though he wants to. The urge to comfort her is near overwhelming.]

We have plenty of time t'talk. Okay? Wh-When you're ready, when y'feel like y'can handle it, we can talk. But right now, I need you t'know somethin'.

[His voice is breaking. He's going to cry. He just has to push through.] I know why y'did what y'did. And... A-And I forgave you a long time ago.

this is V MUCH woof i apologize

[slapsyouback]

[She wonders, watching him try to speak over the lump in his throat, if he knows what he just said.

She wonders if he knows that every single night she spent on the moon base, reflecting on the day, planning the next step, working toward the moment when she could finally have her family back, a thought never left her. A terrifying thought that only got stronger the longer it took her to find the Relics.

Will they ever forgive me?

She didn't know, she never had an answer for herself. Especially when everything she tried didn't work for so long, especially when she couldn't find Lup and when she had to bring Taako, Merle, and Magnus in and lie to their faces day in and day out. She didn't know if they would be able to forgive her. How they ever could. She'd only hoped.

She wonders if he understands the gift he's given her, just in saying that.]

Oh.

[A part of her still wants to move away from him, to toss away what he's said and beg him to reconsider, because it seems impossible that he could ever just decide to see her through the haze of everything she's done. But a much bigger part so desperately wants to believe that he's telling the truth, that she actually has his forgiveness, and somehow they might be able to move past this, together.

So she doesn't move away. She takes one tentative step forward, refusing to let herself drop his gaze. There are tears running down her face, blurring her vision, and she's not exactly sure when they got there. She puts her hands down at her sides and swallows around all the emotion welling up inside her, just for a moment. Just to tell him this one thing.]

Th-thank you. Barry, I--can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me. I'm...Barry--

[She puts her hands up over her mouth and stops trying to hold back. It's too much and she's too tired. She sobs, for a whole mess of different reasons that she can't parse through, but she continues saying thank you over and over, every chance she gets.]

NEVER APOLOGIZE GOSH send me all ur novels always

[barold]

[Lucretia starts shaking, crying, shrinking away, and Barry can't stop himself anymore. A dozen years of separation, care, and caution can't stop him anymore, doesn't overpower his instincts any longer, the ones screaming at him to reach out and just comfort her.

Even though she looks like she has a full decade on him now, all Barry's able to see is the young woman he'd spent a century with. Working with, living with, fighting with, fighting for. The young woman who had struggled and fought and grown so much. As far as he remembers, she was as good as straight out of the Academy, so gifted and dedicated. So young, her youth ripped from her by a scientific expedition interrupted by the apocalypse. Lucretia had to grow up in a hurry. Barry had been so worried for her, so guilty that they'd put such a young person in such an unfair position, so proud of her for her strength and resolve. Lucretia is an incredible person, through and through. Always has been.

It's that feeling he holds on to, that pride, that love, rather than the years of distance put between them. It's that feeling that makes him step forward and reach for her, pulling her into a tight embrace as she weeps. Yes, she betrayed them. Yes, she made him her enemy. Yes, she put wards in place that, whether she meant to or now, have left brand marks on his body. Yes, she took Lup from him. That part is going to be harder to forgive than the others. He's still not quite over that one.

But none of that matters as much as their family. Lucretia is his family. He loves her, in spite of everything.]

It's okay. I-It's gonna be okay. [His voice shakes as he starts crying too, arms tight and protective around her, one big hand running up and down her trembling back, the other combing gently through her tight grey curls.]

We're gonna be okay.